A Heartwarming Story
Chat line for deaf dolphin's offspring: KEY LARGO, Fla.–A marine mammal rehabilitation facility opened a dolphin 'chat line' yesterday, hoping to teach a deaf dolphin's unborn calf to communicate.
Castaway, as the stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is named, has been recovering at the Marine Mammal Conservancy. Dolphins need to hear echoes of sounds they produce to find food, socialize and defend themselves.
'We asked ourselves, `How do we get the calf to speak when we have a deaf mother?'' said Robert Lingenfelser, the conservancy's president. They decided to electronically connect Castaway's habitat with a lagoon at Dolphins Plus, a research facility a few kilometres away. Underwater speakers and microphones were installed at both locations and connected via phone lines.
Castaway is expected to deliver her calf in about a month.
Castaway, as the stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is named, has been recovering at the Marine Mammal Conservancy. Dolphins need to hear echoes of sounds they produce to find food, socialize and defend themselves.
'We asked ourselves, `How do we get the calf to speak when we have a deaf mother?'' said Robert Lingenfelser, the conservancy's president. They decided to electronically connect Castaway's habitat with a lagoon at Dolphins Plus, a research facility a few kilometres away. Underwater speakers and microphones were installed at both locations and connected via phone lines.
Castaway is expected to deliver her calf in about a month.
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